Middle English Dictionary Entry
limitǒur n.
Entry Info
| Forms | limitǒur n. Also limitur, limetour. |
| Etymology | From limiten . |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) A mendicant friar whose begging, preaching, and hearing of confessions was limited to one of the subdivisions of the territory of a monastery [see Williams, SP 57 (1960), 463-478]; (b) ?a surveyor; ? = (a).
Associated quotations
a
- (c1387-95) Chaucer CT.Prol.(Manly-Rickert)A.209 : A frere ther was, a wantowne and a merye, A lymytour [vr. lymitur], a ful solempne man.
- (c1387-95) Chaucer CT.Prol.(Manly-Rickert)A.269 : This worthy lymytour [vr. Limetour] was cleped Huberd.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.WB.(Manly-Rickert)D.866 : The grete charitee..Of lymytours and othere holy freres.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.WB.(Manly-Rickert)D.874 : Ther walketh now the lymytour hymself..And seith his matyns and his holy thynges As he gooth in his lymytacioun.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Fri.(Manly-Rickert)D.1265 : This worthy lymytour, this noble frere.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Fri.(Manly-Rickert)D.1294 : I shal hym telle which a gret honour It is to be a flaterynge lymytour.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Fri.(Manly-Rickert)D.1711 : Ther is in Yorkshire..A mersshy contree called Holdernesse, In which ther wente a lymytour aboute To preche and ek to begge.
- a1400 Preste ne monke (Cleo B.2)81 : Be war ay with þe lymitour, & with his felawe baþe.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)5.138 : On limitoures and listres lesynges I ymped..þei blosmed obrode in boure to here shriftes.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)20.344 : At þe last þis limitour, þo my lorde was out, He salued so owre wommen til somme were with childe!
- c1400(?c1384) Wycl.50 HFriars (Bod 647)376 : And ȝitt forfendynge [?read: for sendynge] of þese coveytouse foolis þat ben lymytoures, gos myche symonye, envye, and myche foule marchaundise.
- (1402) Topias (Dgb 41)p.78 : We leten, thou seist, to lymytours al this rewme to ferme.
- ?c1430(c1383) Wycl.Leaven Pharisees (Corp-C 296)5 : Þei ordeynen ydiotis to ben lymytours þat best kunnyn begge.
- c1450(c1405) Mum & S.(2) (Add 41666)440 : Thenne hath þe limitour leue to lerne where he cometh To lye and to licke or elles lose his office.
- ?1536(1402) Jack Upland (Gough)193/83 : Why hyre ye to ferme youre limitors, gevinge therfore eche yeer a certain rente, and will not suffer oon in an-others limitacion?
- c1600(?c1395) PPl.Creed (Trin-C R.3.15)597 : Þanne comen cursed freres & croucheþ full lowe; A losel, a lymitour, ouer all þe lond lepeþ.
b
- 1483 Cath.Angl.(Monson 168)217 : A Lymytour: limitator.